International
“We have to generate more fissures in commands that support Ortega,” says Nicaraguan opponent
Former Nicaraguan presidential candidate Juan Sebastián Chamorro said in an interview with EFE that Daniel Ortega’s regime is increasingly similar to that of North Korea, for its cruelty and histrionism, and asked the opposition not to give up in its attempt to “generate more fissures” in the commands that hold the Sandinista leader.
Chamorro, 53, was one of the 222 political prisoners who in February 2023 were banished to the United States and stripped of their nationality by “traitors” and “vendepatrias”.
Considered one of the main opponents of the regime and a member of one of the best-known families in Nicaragua – his aunt Violeta Barrios de Chamorro was president between 1990 and 1997 -, the economist is in Paraguay to denounce within the framework of the 54th General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) that Nicaragua “has become a huge prison.”
“We were in prison for 611 days as political prisoners, but there are more than 6 million Nicaraguans who currently live in prison: all civil and political freedoms are violated,” he said.
Although Nicaragua formally left the OAS last November on the initiative of Ortega himself, the organization’s plenary will analyze until this Friday the crisis unleashed in the country after the massive protests of April 2018, which left at least 355 dead, according to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
“Even the Nicaraguan Academy of Language, the Boy Scouts and the Red Cross have been eliminated. They have even canceled NGOs that gave shelter to stray dogs and cats! That is the level of repression we are experiencing,” Chamorro added.
Ortega, who returned to power in 2007 and since 2017 has governed with his wife, Rosario Murillo, has established a “family dynasty,” which reminds Chamorro of both the absolutist monarchies of centuries ago and the current regime that governs from Pyongyang: “We are Latin American North Korea.”
“We are not talking about a Cuban-style dictatorship, where the Communist Party chooses within its undemocratic mechanisms, where there is a certain institutionality. Ortega has destroyed his own party, the Sandinist National Liberation Front,” he explained.
This dynastic logic is, in his opinion, one of the great “weaknesses” of the regime, since it generates claims among its acolytes and truncates the aspirations of the highest commanders close to Ortega, but at the same time it is an opportunity for the opposition.
“We have to try to generate more fissures like the one we saw with his own brother,” he said in reference to Humberto Ortega Saavedra, former head of the Nicaraguan Army and one of the historical leaders of the Sandinista revolution.
In an interview with the Infobae media last May, the retired general launched unusual criticisms against the Government headed by his brother and sister-in-law and questioned the plans attributed to the presidential couple to designate their son, Laureano Ortega Murillo, as a successor.
Hours after the publication, National Police officers broke into Ortega Saavedra’s home and he was in total isolation.
“We must continue to send messages to the cadres and tell them that if they have not committed a crime, if they are not complicit in the commission of crimes against humanity or corruption, they have a space in the democratic Nicaragua of the future,” Chamorro added.
Despite certain voices that advocate an armed popular rebellion to remove Ortega from power, the former presidential candidate declared that the only way out is to continue diplomatically and economically close to the regime, although the peaceful struggle “is slower than the navy.”
“The statistics show that democratic and peaceful transitions are more effective,” he concluded.
Central America
U.S. and Regional Allies Back Panama Amid Dispute With China
The United States, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Guyana, Paraguay and Trinidad and Tobago issued a joint statement in support of Panama’s sovereignty, arguing that China’s recent actions represent an attempt to politicize maritime trade and undermine the sovereignty of nations in the hemisphere.
“We are closely monitoring China’s selective economic pressure and recent actions affecting vessels flying the Panamanian flag,” the statement released Tuesday said. “Panama is a pillar of our maritime trading system and, as such, must remain free from undue external pressure.”
The statement comes amid growing tensions surrounding the Panama Canal and the operation of key ports linked to global trade.
At the end of January, Panama’s Supreme Court invalidated the legal framework supporting the 1997 concession that granted Panama Ports Company, a subsidiary of CK Hutchison, the right to operate the Balboa and Cristóbal terminals located on the Pacific and Atlantic entrances of the Panama Canal.
The ruling followed mounting pressure from the United States to curb Chinese influence around the strategic waterway, through which roughly 5% of global maritime trade passes.
CK Hutchison, which managed the ports for nearly three decades, rejected the court’s decision and accused Panamanian authorities of illegally confiscating its assets. The company has launched international arbitration proceedings against Panama, seeking more than $2 billion in damages.
Following the court ruling, reports emerged of increased detentions and inspections of Panamanian-flagged vessels in China, actions widely viewed as retaliatory measures.
On Wednesday, China’s Foreign Ministry dismissed the joint statement as “completely unfounded and misleading,” accusing the United States of politicizing port operations and warning that Beijing would take steps to protect its interests in Panama.
International
King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
King Charles III of the United Kingdom reaffirmed the strength of the British-American relationship on Tuesday during a speech before the United States Congress, describing the alliance between the two nations as “irreplaceable and unbreakable.”
The address, delivered at the Capitol, marked the first speech by a British monarch before Congress since Queen Elizabeth II in 1991 and comes at a time of political tensions between Donald Trump’s administration and the Labour government of Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“As President Trump himself observed during his state visit to Britain last autumn, the bond of kinship and identity between the United States and the United Kingdom is invaluable and eternal. It is irreplaceable and unbreakable,” the king said.
While reflecting on the upcoming 250th anniversary of U.S. independence, which will be commemorated this year, Charles III stated that the partnership between the two countries “was born out of disagreement, but is no less strong because of it.”
The monarch emphasized the democratic values shared by both nations and noted that major global changes have occurred whenever the two allies found common ground.
“When we have found that way to agree, great changes have taken place not only for the benefit of our peoples, but for all peoples,” he said.
King Charles also quoted British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who recently described the relationship as “an indispensable alliance.”
Concluding his speech, the monarch described the shared history of the United States and the United Kingdom as “a story of reconciliation, renewal, and an extraordinary partnership.”
He added that Washington and London have forged “one of the most consequential alliances in human history.”
“I pray with all my heart that our alliance continues to defend our shared values, together with our partners in Europe, the Commonwealth, and around the world, and that we ignore calls urging us to become increasingly isolationist,” Charles III stated.
The king ended by urging both nations to “recommit to one another in selfless service to our peoples and to all peoples of the world.”
International
Trump Administration Considers Denying Green Cards Over Political Views
The administration of President Donald Trump is evaluating new immigration guidelines that could deny permanent residency to immigrants based on their political views, according to a report published by The New York Times.
The proposed measures, outlined in internal Department of Homeland Security documents, would instruct immigration officials to take applicants’ public expressions and ideological positions into account when reviewing green card applications.
According to the report, cases involving “possible anti-American and/or antisemitic conduct or ideologies” would need to be referred to higher authorities for additional review.
Even if applicants have not violated any laws, authorities could still reject residency requests if they determine that individuals have “endorsed, promoted, or supported anti-American views.”
Among the factors listed in the guidelines are participation in pro-Palestinian activities, actions considered antisemitic, and the burning of the U.S. flag.
The documents reportedly describe such actions as “heavily negative” factors in immigration evaluations, potentially blocking applicants from obtaining permanent residency and, eventually, U.S. citizenship.
The directives also place particular attention on demonstrations held on university campuses following the 2023 Hamas attacks against Israel.
However, flag burning has previously been recognized by the U.S. Supreme Court as a form of protected free speech under the Constitution.
The proposal has sparked criticism from immigrant advocacy organizations, including the New York Immigration Coalition.
Its president, Murad Awawdeh, warned that the policies could pose a threat to fundamental rights and freedoms.
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King Charles III Says U.S.-UK Alliance Is “Irreplaceable and Unbreakable”
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